I couldn't possibly tell you, you might be in Rutland.

Looks like an old style headset with cup and cone and a quill stem to me.

NOTE: Watch out for tractors and Landrovers etc. You've been warned. Seriously, don't assume there is nothing coming the other way. It is possible.

NOTE: Watch out for tractors and Lanrovers etc. You've been warned. Seriously, don't assume there is nothing coming the other way. It is possible.

Sportives. Hmm interesting observation. In UK these are run as non competitive, and IIRC one last year was ousted by the UK cyclosportive organisation, or whatever it is called as the event was publishing results in a time order, i.e saying who came 1st, 34th etc.

However, here in France, they are fully competitive. I did one in beginning of June, 150km 3500m of climbing and the winning time was 4 hours 12 minutes….to me, that's 4th cat road race pace at the minimum!

The Marmotte awards placings overall and on an age category basis.

The UK ones, are IME relatively way overpriced, relatively poorly marshalled, and generally populated by lots of Timothy's on their £3000 Pinarello's. One good example being a friend doing one down south and overtaking a bloke on a full dura ace prince complaining that the hill they were going up was really hard, at which point my mate pointed out that he was in the big ring….

Also IME , I've joined a road race club over here, and have done quite a few sportives here in the last 6 months, and I honestly don't think that the riding 'discipline' is any better, than in the UK sportives I've ridden. Only difference is that the french don't get het up about it, and don't go, oh the English ride much better than us, we're rubbish' they just accept some people are crap at riding in a group, and DON'T TAKE THEMSELVES OR OTHERS ANTICS TOO SERIOUSLY!

My old road club in Sheffield, sounds like it's at risk of falling apart because some people (newcomers in last 2 years or so) have come in and are really trying to lay down the law on riding as a group etc,literally shouting at people and causing arguments at all the meetings. OK you need some rules and some etiquette, but at the end of the day: IT'S ALL FOR FUN.

Little Life Cross Country for Etienne. He seems very happy with it, and we don't use the pushchair/ pram at all.

More than enough storage for a day trip, without being too unwieldy.
Adjustable back suits the difference in height between Mrs Mugsy and Me.

Has anyone got any experience of the decathlon panniers?

The IGN website is good. And if you download the geoportail, you can get fantastic 3d mapping. Better than Google earth IMO.

MTB gears so MrsMugsy can keep loaded panniers AND tow little Mugsy in his trailer when I'm tired when we go touring in August.

Plus…that's all we had lying around. There is a road bike in the garage for proper road.

Well I thought it was accepted that flat bars had been superceeded by risers.

As to the voices in my head, there are some at the very back, that are very quiet that are saying, " Go on buy some bar ends. They make sense."

Oh. They didn't work before..

Will having risers make me able to do that?

Yeah, see, I’ve now seen the picture and that’s way too short. Would be absolutely useless in a club ride situation where you need to prevent spray into the riders eyes behind. In the photo the guard, or a additional flap would need to extend to about the top of the first course of masonry. Also It’s just going to dump rubbish onto the chainset. The front would need to be sufficiently long to avoid doing this too. Full length mudguards.

the salmon mudguards from the salmon shop in france, not the ones that used to be sold by wiggle are supposed to be the bees knees but expensive:

http://www.cyclesdsalmon.com/gardebouesalmon2008+.htm

Also I’ve seen lots of audax boys who have moved the bracket for attaching the stays to the guard itself outside of the mudguard (they are typically mounted inside the channel of the mudguard. They say it reduces a lot of spray. Oh and all the mudguards I’ve seen really need flaps at the bottom front and rear to be really effective. Most are just too short.

Watch out for the low heel cup on the Innov8’s. Theydon’t suit everyone and take a bit of getting used to.

This used to come up quite a lot on the CTC website IIRC. Old boys + old bkes + old style mudguards without a safety release jobby on the stays for front mudguard. I think there was a death.

If near New Mills, then the Magic Mountain Shop is a Mountain Equipment seconds/ samples etc place. Can get some great bargains there, esp on weekend sales. Or the RAB factory shop in Alfreton.

Out of interest, why are the UAE blocking Skype? It’s not as if they block telephone calls is it? Is it because they want their telecomms (BT equiv)company to pocket the cash?

Results are up on the sport communication website. My time was 9 hours 42 mins. 21 minutes faster than last year. Doesn’t sound like a lot as a %age of ride time, but it seemed difficult enough to get that time.

The stage times (ie. col checkpoint times) aren’t up as far as I can tell yet.

wors: It’s really straightforward to do it yourself. Much easier than the cloak and dagger of the etape du tour. We camp in Bourg. However since October we’ve moved to near Lyon. E mail me (address in profile) if you need any help with doing an entry. Entries open in January ish.

Not quite ready to admit to ‘next year’ but there will definitely be a next time. Although my aim was Gold, I realised I was too far off about a month ago. It is possible for me but maybe in another couple of attempts.

Blazing Saddles: you weren’t one of the Honister green boys were you?

Blazin Saddles that’s a result and a half!

I’m not sure of my official time as results don’t seem to be out online yet, but I did 1/2 hour ish better than last year, and rode Alpe D’Huez in one hit and faster than last year which I’m chuffed about. Hit a wall on the telegraphe again though and towed my caravan of pain up it! (and yes aP I sheltered all the way along the maurienne! Your words were echoing round my head. Must get in a group must get in a group!). Cramped a couple of times.

Found it way harder than last year with a lot less bodies strewn along the galibier and alpe d’huez and less people clip clopping. Still carnage on Glandon descent with accidents a plenty. It’s scary. And most annoying still the same no. of idiots who think it acceptable to throw the gel wrappers etc away.

In essence, big up to all who rode it!

Agree with comments about bunging a bigger casette on.
To put a triple on with a Ultegra set up, you are looking at long cage rear mech, poss triple front mech, but most importantly of all a new triple STI lever. The three positions aren’t 3 on an ultegra double sti, it’s a trim function. That is the beauty of 105, 105 STI’s do double and triple (or the old ones did, not sure if the newer one does)

Fantastic rickmeisster, a bike that’s used and used and used and used. Chapaeau to you.

IMO and IME Factory built wheels are fine until you have a problem with them such as freewheel issues, broken spoke etc. Effectively with many factory wheels if such a problem arises you can be looking at a new wheel.

Mind you Mavic service in the UK is top notch :wink:

Mr Smiths profile pic would appear to be ‘the wrong side of Ventoux’. I thought L’etape was going up from Bedoiun to join the Sault road at Chalet Reynard, going up to the Summit and then descnding to Malaucene.

I started off with a triple, then I got rid of it for a normal 39/52 which was fine for the Peak District, incl Winnatts, then I stuck a Compact on for La Marmotte. In hindsight I used to say the granny ring was useful for emergencies, although with a middle ring of 42 it made more sense to actually use the granny to allow spinning below lactate threshold rather than having to use it in an emergency when you’re already screwed: Better to prevent getting tired, than having an escape route.

Does the route go round in a semi-circle like that?

If 105 then the shifters will allow the use of a triple. At least old 105 did. Meaning that you would need a triple chainset, maybe a new bb and new chain, and ideally a long cage rear mech.

I can’t really see your idea working well at all.

I can’t think of any road cassettes that have a 30 tooth large sprocket. 28 yes. Does he already have a ‘compact’ chainset or a normal such as a 39/52 etc?

Aircon? UK?
WTF?

Cheers Ap. I’ll try. Worst for me was Le Telegraph, so you might just be right, i.e I worked too hard along the valley and was shocked at the climb, as It was about the only section I’d not done and thought it was an anthill before getting on the BIG Bad Boy! Must remeber to eat more too.

Yeah, she’s just sent it to me. I’m afraid I’d prefer some 561’s rather than the velovise’s. Thanks for the offer though.

La Marmotte has got my leeser entry fee for the last 2 years. Easier to get a entry, lot cheaper, consistently hard.

Etape route by its very nature varies each year.

Was aiming for gold this year, but I need to lose an hour and 15mins on last years time of 10hrs. It seems too much to lose to me, I might get halfway towards it I guess.

Bet you Ventoux etc is warmer than La Marmotte course if it’s dry. Alpe D’Huez is hot by the time the ride gets onto it though. Hopefully I’m heat acclimatised this year though as I now live near Lyon.

That would have been ‘Lance’. Every club has one. Say no more.

Eh? You’ve only just found out you’ve got an entry? wowzer! That just about sums up the circus that is the Etape entry procedure.

1 week and 2 days until La Marmotte for me.

Good Luck!

Good write up on the Britsh Cycling website, my old club (I moved) Sheffrec CC(white kit with blue writing) got some really good exposure. 3 or 4 of them racing, and one working as a medic. Including photos of them either side of Lizzie on the start line

Thanks,

anyone else got any views (on thule 561s and velovises…..!)?

D2D has always been perfect IMO

Yes, that’s the cheapest price I can find them in UK.
We live in France and they are about 120 euros there….. current exchange rate is 1.16 ish euros to the £.

So although not free delivery from UK sites, better to buy in UK and pay extra postage.

Does anyone have ay views on whether the older velo vise or the 561 is best for carbon forks? SKidrive say 561 is not suitable for carbon forks, whereas Thule website says it fits carbon forks.

Hey everyone, it seems the one we are looking at 2nd hand is an older Thule velo vise.

There seems some bad reviews of this version on mtbr reviews.com with locking mechanisms made out of plastic.

Does anyone have any experience of the velo vise, and are they as bad as they are made out to be? do they take a disc brake fitted fork as standard. Really worried now.

We bought a Chariot Cougar off here used for £220 posted last month.
We're well happy with it.

Buy better spec model but secondahnd seems to be worthwhile rather than buying a cheaper spec one

Ok thanks for all the rpelies. I hope the one we bought secondhand comes with all the brackets for the different options!

It might be me…but Strato’s isn’t a mono…! We’ll allow her though.